On May 23, a new stained glass window was dedicated at St. Mark's Church, Capitol Hill, in Washington, D.C. The window, commissioned by friends of Verna Dozier and dedicated in her honor, features the prophet Amos speaking the word of the Lord to the people of Israel. In the foreground stand Verna and her sister Lois, depicted as young girls, while two male figures - the king and a priest - stand in the background, angered by the prophet's blistering rebuke.

Many of the themes of Verna Dozier's life converged in her parish church on that Sunday afternoon. Amos has long been a mentor to this teacher who has often reminded us of the prophetic call for justice that resounds throughout the pages of scripture. As an African American, a woman, and a lay person, she has seen firsthand how the powers and principalities of this world exert their authority over others, and how sorely justice is needed for all of God's people.

Ms. Dozier is well known for her deep familiarity with the Bible, a text she cherishes as the chronicle of God's activity in human history and the assurance of God's abiding love for us. She has repeatedly called us to an attentive reading of scripture, reminding us that the Bible is a document to be studied carefully, as well as one to be read devotionally. She urges all Christians to appropriate the riches of scripture for themselves, even as she warns of the dangers of a simplistic reading that searches only for proof texts.

She was born in Washington, the daughter of a devout Baptist mother and an agnostic father. (Like Amos, he had seen too much hypocrisy on the part of wealthy and privileged clergy.) Her parents were powerful models for Verna, teaching her the power of the written and spoken word, encouraging her to ask the hard questions about the meaning of life. She earned both a bachelor's and master's degree in English from Howard University, then taught English in the D.C. schools for 32 years.

Her retirement from the D.C. schools proved to be a great blessing for the Episcopal Church, the grateful recipient of so many of her lessons. She taught us to understand the ministry of the laity, the whole people of God. In her speaking and writing, she challenged people to accept the authority they received in baptism, and to live out their faith in their homes and offices. She taught us so well that we now take for granted what were then new insights about the ministry of the laity in the world.

Ms. Dozier worked hard to equip the laity for ministry, even as she inspired them with her words and by the example of her life. She encouraged people to study scripture diligently, and to bear witness to the gospel in their daily life and work. A faithful and tireless teacher, she offered classes and workshops throughout the country, wrote books and articles, and recorded audio and videotapes as resources for the church. Her wisdom and experience enriched the councils of the church, as she served on her parish vestry, her diocesan standing committee and commission on ministry, and various committees of the national church. In thanksgiving for her many contributions, three Episcopal seminaries have conferred honorary doctorates upon her.

Now 81, Verna Dozier often speaks of going to meet the God she has served so long and so well. Her friends are reluctant to hear such talk. They don't want to lose this woman who has meant so much to them. But there's more. They believe that she still has lessons to teach us and a book yet to be written, on a topic dear to her heart. We live in a time, she says, that has difficulty coping with the ambiguities of life. We grasp too quickly for solutions that promise certainty and suggest easy answers to difficult questions. Our Christian faith requires us to live within the ambiguity of human existence, she reminds us, to live with all the doubts and uncertainties of life this side of heaven. It's a lesson this teacher received from the Great Teacher himself. As in everything else, Verna Dozier would point us beyond her own words to the words and the example of Jesus Christ. o

The Very Rev. Martha Horne is the dean and president of Virginia Theological Seminary.